FORT BRAGG, N.C. (July 21, 2015) - A red, Paul Bunyan-sized baseball cap marks your entrance into rigger territory, or more specifically, Pack Platoon, 11th Quartermaster Company, 189th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade.
Here, riggers spend hours reliving their own Groundhog's Day, packing parachute after parachute. The thrill-seeking bravado of leaping out of aircrafts leads Soldiers to become paratroopers and is also what entices many riggers to choose this career field.
Many military occupational specialties have airborne slots available; however, riggers hold the only initial entry MOS requiring airborne qualification. For every rigger questioned in the pack shed, hearing their recruiter say the words "guaranteed airborne" was enough to seal the deal.
Former Pack Platoon Leader, 1st Lt. Matthew Visser, said riggers across the company remain busy at the epicenter of airborne and special operations.
"Parachute riggers of 11th Quartermaster Company have a unique role supporting missions that impact the entire 82nd Airborne Division," said Visser, Aerial Delivery Platoon Leader. "We pack parachutes for four brigade-sized elements. There is a ton of attention to detail required and no room for error."
Fort Bragg's jump schedule is never-ending, and in April, missions like Combined Joint Operational Access Exercise 15-01, demanded an even greater amount of parachutes. CJOAX 15-01 and other missions that month required more than 1400 main parachutes and reserves.
"Riggers with Pack Platoon provide life-supporting equipment, and there is a lot of stress that comes with their job," said Visser. "These Paratroopers are very knowledgeable, driven individuals, and they tend to be more mature because of that responsibility."
To prepare for non-stop, precise work, riggers attend more than 11 weeks of advanced individual training at Fort Lee, Va., where they learn how to pack main parachutes, reserves, rig sling loads, and perform basic parachute repairs. All of these skills enable Paratroopers to land safely after jumping.
"By the end of AIT, you complete a jump with your own parachute, which helps you to gain confidence in yourself and your abilities," said Sgt. Mauro Moreno, rigger with Pack Platoon.
That confidence is later used to pack every parachute and reserve in the pack shed. Every rigger ensures exact precision, and each parachute has 16 checkpoints at which senior riggers validate the accuracy.
"I think this job, more than any other, will make you more responsible and have a higher attention to detail," said Moreno. "You get a great sense of pride when you know that someone landed safely with your parachute."
Pride is the mantra of every paratrooper; it's what they eat for breakfast. For riggers, that pride is needed to balance the enormous weight of responsibility shouldered by them alone.
"There's stress every single day to make sure that the parachutes open," said Sgt. Billy Vang, rigger with Pack Platoon. "It's our responsibility to ensure every Paratrooper lands safely."
Riggers don't sign up for the accolades, and they aren't hunting fame. Some might argue the red cap is the draw, but no. Riggers working endlessly in the pack shed from 9 a.m. until completion are doing so to keep the Army airborne. That's their mission, and according to their pledge, they will "Be sure-always."
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